been an empty sound; there would have been no melody to the Lord,
whatsoever good music he might have made to himself. He would not put
God off with a sacrifice of mere air. He summons the attendance of all
his powers. Himself is the offering; and his music plays to the
sacrifice, as it goes up in holy affections and spiritual joys; and
unless these accompany the song, the mere breath of an organ, or the
trembling of the strings of an harp is as good devotion and less
offensive to God. Consider the _nature and excellency of the duty_.
Singing Psalms is a compound of several other duties. It contains prayer
to a very great advantage: the stretch of the voice does humour and lead
on the earnest reaching of the mind after the desired blessing. It is
the very element and breath of praise; and the apostle tells us that
“teaching and admonishing one another” is performed in singing “Psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs.” For when we sing of _judgment_, it is
awakening to sinners; and when we sing of _mercy_, it is comforting to
all. Meditation cannot have a better help. The solemn movement of the
time gives room for the mind to compass the full sense of the matter,
and to impress it deep; and while the tongue is making the _pause_, the
heart may make _elevation_. In short, it gives an accent to all duty; it
is the music of all other ordinances; It is adapted and suited to all
circumstances; as appears from the Psalms composed upon all occasions
and subjects, doctrinal, prophetical, hortatory, and historical; of
praise and prayer, of grief and joy, in the penitential and complaining,
in the triumphal and rejoicing; as if singing of psalms could stand for
everything, and, like the manna in the wilderness, gives a taste of all
the other food we enjoy in the house of God.—_Benjamin Grosvenor, D.D.
(1675-1758), in “An Exhortation to the Duty of Singing.” Eastcheap
Lectures, 1810._
_Verse 8._—The _Psaltery_ was a stringed instrument, usually with twelve
strings, and played with the fingers. The _harp_ or lyre was a stringed
instrument, usually consisting of ten strings. Josephus says that it was
struck or played with a key. It appears, however, that it was sometimes
played with the fingers.—_Albert Barnes._
_Verse 9.—“I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people.”_ The Spirit of
God who indited this scripture, made his penman know that the Gentiles
should have the use of his Psalms.—_David Dickson._
_Verse 9.—“The people”—“the nations.”_ The Hebrew church was neither
called nor qualified to be a missionary society, but it never ceased to
desire and hope for the conversion of the nations. This is seen in those
passages in which the Psalmists betray a consciousness that they shall
one day have all the world for auditors. How boldly does David exclaim,
“_I will sing unto thee among the nations._” In the same spirit, a later
Psalmist summons the church to lift up her voice, so that all the
nations may hear her recital of the Lord’s mighty acts: “O give thanks
unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the
people.” Ps. cv. 1. The full import of this class of texts is often
hidden from the English reader by the circumstance that our translators
have hardly ever used the word _people_ in its plural form. Twice in the
Revelation they venture to write _peoples_; everywhere else the singular
form has to do duty for both numbers; so that in not a few passages the
sense is greatly obscured to those who have no access either to the
original or to other versions. In the Psalms, in particular, the mention
of the Gentiles is more frequent than the English reader is made aware
of. It is to be observed, moreover, that in addition to this strain of
indirect prediction, the conversion of the world is articulately
celebrated in many glorious Psalms. Indeed, so numerous are these, and
so generally distributed over the centuries between David and Ezra, that
it would seem that at no time during the long history of inspired
Psalmody, did the Spirit cease to indite new songs in which the children
of Zion might give utterance to their world-embracing hopes.—_William
Binnie, D.D., in “The Psalms: their History, Teachings, and Use,” 1870._
_Verses 10, 11._—A hard and ungrateful heart beholds even in prosperity
only isolated drops of divine grace; but a grateful one like David’s,
though chased by persecutors, and striking the harp in the gloom of a
cave, looks upon the mercy and faithfulness of God as a mighty ocean,
waving and heaving from the earth to the clouds, and from the clouds to
the earth again.—_Augustus F. Tholuck._
_Verse 11.—“Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens,”_ etc. Greater
words of prayer than these never came from human lips. Heaven and earth
have as they imply, a mutually interwoven history, and the blessed,
glorious end of this is in the sunrise of the Divine glory over
both.—_Franz Delitzsch, 1869._
HINTS TO PREACHERS.
_Verse 1 (first clause)._—_Repetition in prayer._ I. Its dangers. May
degenerate into “vain repetitions.” Carried to excess painfully suggests
the idea, God is unwilling. II. Its uses. Eases the soul like tears.
Manifests intense emotion. Enables those of less mental activity to join
in a general supplication.—_R. A. Griffin._
_Verse 1._—Here are—I. Calamities. 1. War. 2. Pestilence. 3. Privations.
4. Sin, greatest of all. 5. Death. 6. Curse of a broken law. II. Here is
a refuge from these calamities. 1. In God. 2. Specially in the mercy of
God. III. There is flying to that refuge. 1. By faith; “_My soul
trusteth in thee_;” “_Under the shadow_,” etc. 2. By prayer; “_Be_,”
etc. IV. Here is continuance both in faith and prayer; “_until_,”
etc.—_G. R._
_Verses 1, 4, 6, 7._—Note the varying condition of the same heart, at
the same time. “_My soul trusteth in thee._” “_My soul is among lions._”
“_My soul is bowed down._” “_My heart is fixed._”
_Verse 2._—Prayer to the performing God. He performs all his promises,
all my salvation, all my preservation, all needed between here and
heaven. Here he reveals his omnipotence, his grace, his faithfulness,
his immutability; and we are bound to show our faith, patience, joy, and
gratitude.
_Verse 2._—Strange reasons. I. The Psalmist, in the depths of distress,
cries to God, because he is most high in glory. Surely this thought
might well paralyse him with the fear of divine inaccessibility, but the
soul quickened with suffering, sees through and beyond the metaphor,
rejoices in the truth, “Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect
unto the lowly.” II. He cries to God for help, because God _is_
performing all things for him. Why urge him then? Prayer is the music to
which “the mighty man of war” goes forth to battle.—_R. A. G._
_Verse 3._—The saint’s comfort in adversity. I. All contingencies are
provided for: “_He shall_ (or will) _send_.” II. The highest resources
are available: “_from heaven_.” III. The worst foes will be overcome in
the end: “_him that would swallow me up_.” IV. By the holiest means:
“_mercy and truth_.”—_R. A. G._
_Verse 3._—The celestial messengers. What they are. The certainty of
their being sent. Their effectual operation. The grateful receiver.
_Verse 3 (last clause)._—The harmony of the divine attributes in
salvation. Mercy founded on truth, truth vindicating mercy. Mercy
without injustice, justice honoured in mercy.
_Verse 4.—“My soul is among lions.”_ How came I there? If for God’s
sake, then I may remember—1. So was my Lord in the wilderness. 2. The
lions are chained. 3. Their howling is all they can do. 4. I shall come
out of their den alive, unhurt, honoured. 5. The Lion of Judah is with
me. 6. I shall soon be among the angels.
_Verse 5._—I. The end which God has in view, both in heaven and earth,
in a sinful and in sinless worlds—his own glory. II. Our duty to
acquiesce in that end: “_Be thou_,” etc.—not self, not men, not
angels—“_Be thou exalted_,” etc. In this we would acquiesce—1. Actively,
by seeking that end. 2. Passively, by submission to his will.—_G. R._
_Verse 6 (first clause)._—I. Who are they? 1. Those who lead us into
sin. 2. Who argue from worldly philosophy. 3. Who proclaim priestly and
sacramental superstition. 4. Who decoy us from the church of God. 5. Who
teach Antinomian doctrine. II. How shall we escape them? 1. Keep out of
their way. 2. Keep to God’s way. 3. Trust daily in the Lord.
_Verse 6.—“My soul is bowed down.”_ I. _The prostration._ 1. Caused by
enemies, weakness, fear, pain. 2. Deep, agonising, self-revealing. 3.
Common to the Head and the members. II. _The consolation._ 1. Bowed
down, but not condemned. 2. Hoping in the promise. 3. Trusting in God.
4. Expecting a blessing from the trial.
_Verse 7 (first clause)._—It is implied that the “_heart_” is the main
thing required in all acts of devotion; nothing is done to purpose in
religion further than it is done with the heart. The heart must be
“_fixed_;” fixed for the duty, fitted and put in frame for it; fixed
_in_ the duty by a close application; _attending on the Lord_ without
distraction.—_Matthew Henry._
_Verse 7._—I. What is fixed? the heart, not the mind merely, but the
will, the conscience, the affections, which draw the mind after them:
“_My heart is fixed_”—found an anchorage, a resting-place, not therefore
at the mercy of every gale, etc. II. The objects upon which it is fixed.
1. Upon God. 2. Upon his word. 3. Upon his salvation. 4. Upon heaven.
III. The fixedness of the heart upon these objects, denotes—1.
Singleness of aim. 2. Uniformity of action. 3. Perseverance to the
end.—_G. R._
_Verses 7, 8, 9._—1. He that will be thankful must treasure up in his
heart and memory the courtesy that is done him; so had David done, and
therefore he mentions _his heart_; and to make it more emphatical, he
names it again, “_My heart_.” 2. After he remembers it, he must be
affected with it, and resolve upon it; so doth David: “_My heart is
ready_,” or else, “_My heart is fixed_;” confirmed I am in it to be
thankful, and I cannot be altered. 3. ’Tis not enough that a man carry
about with him a thankful heart; he must _anunciare_, tell it abroad,
and make it known publicly what God hath done for him; yea, and do it
joyfully too: “_I will_,” saith David, “_sing and give praise_.” 4. He
must use all means he can to make it known—“_tongue_,” “_psaltery_,” and
“_harp_,” all are little enough. Whence, by an apostrophe, David turns
to these. “_Awake, my glory_:” _i.e._ _Tongue, awake; lute and harp,
awake; I myself will awake._ 5. He must not do it in a sleepy manner,
but with intention and earnestness of spirit: “_Awake, awake, I will
awake._” 6. He must take the first opportunity to do it, and not hang
off and delay it: “I will awake _early_.” 7. He must do it in such a
place, and such an assembly as may most redound to God’s honour: “I will
praise thee, O Lord, _among the people_: I will sing unto thee _among
the nations_.”—_William Nicholson._
_Verse 8.—“I myself will wake early.”_ I will sleep lightly, for I am in
an enemy’s country; I will ask God to arouse me; I will set the alarum
of watchfulness; I will hear the cock of providential warning; the light
of the Sun shall arouse me; the activities of the church, the trumpet of
my foes, and the bell of duty shall combine to awaken me.
_Verse 9._—Who? “I.” What? “Will praise.” Whom? “Thee, O Lord.” Where?
“Among the people.” Why?
_Verse 9._—Public profession. I. A necessity. II. A privilege. III. A
duty.—_R. A. G._
_Verse 10._—The mercy of God reaches to the heavens—I. As a throne. God
is exalted in our eyes by his mercy. II. As a ladder. By mercy we ascend
from earth to heaven. III. As a rainbow. Present and past mercies argue
exemption for the saints from the wrath of heaven. IV. As a mountain.
Its base is on the earth though its summit is lost in clouds. The
influence of the cross towers to the heaven of heavens. Who can tell the
glory of the summit of this mountain, whose base is refulgent with
glory!—_R. A. G._
_Verse 10._—The amazing greatness of mercy. It is not said merely that
it is high as heaven, but great unto the heavens. It is _high_ as the
heavens, over-topping the greatest sin, and highest thought of man. II.
It is _wide_ as the far-reaching sky, compassing men of all ages,
countries, classes, etc. III. It is _deep_. Everything of God is
proportionate; this, therefore, is deep in abiding foundation, and
infinite wisdom.
Footnote 29:
Pill = peel, to pillage, plunder, strip.
Footnote 30:
Poll, used synonymously with peel.
HUNT, BARNARD & CO., LTD., Printers, London and Aylesbury.
● Transcriber’s Notes:
○ Text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_),
and text that was in bold face is enclosed by equals signs
(=bold=).
○ Footnotes have been moved to follow the psalms in which they are
referenced.